Pennsylvania Man Charged with Child Sexual Abuse Material Possession and Alleged Extremist Ties

Aidan Harding, 20, is accused of possessing explicit material involving minors and adhering to a violent, racially motivated ideology, prosecutors say.

• Aidan Harding, a 20-year-old from Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, has been indicted on one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, including content involving prepubescent minors.
• Prosecutors allege Harding adheres to a violent, racially motivated extremist ideology and praised mass shooters, including the perpetrator of the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue attack in Pittsburgh.
• Evidence presented includes Harding’s possession of over 20 firearms, antisemitic flyers targeting Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, and videos of mass shootings from the U.S. and abroad.
• Harding was previously adjudicated delinquent for making terroristic threats and reportedly filmed himself reenacting the Columbine mass shooting at a memorial for its victims.
• If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, with his trial date pending while he remains held without bail.

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